Weight Loss

So… what’s the deal with this Ketogenic thing? You’ve probably seen this term floating around social media from numerous sources. You’ve heard terms like “Just eat more fat”, “cut out the carbs”, “Eat more butter”, etc… I know when I was first learning about the ketogenic lifestyle, I was completely overwhelmed with the amount of information out there. I just wanted to know what was safe, nutritious, and how I could get started.

So I put this guide together for you gain clarity of the Ketogenic lifestyle at a high level, and to help you understand the need for quality food in your diet.

First of all, why are thousands of people embracing the ketogenic diet?

The basic-concept of the ketogenic diet is to eat foods that help your body produce and burn ketones as an energy source instead of glucose (carbohydrates and sugar). The absence of glucose in the blood keeps your body from producing the fat-storing hormone insulin, and triggers your liver to produce ketones. Keeping your body in a constant state of producing and burning ketones is called being in “Ketosis”.

So why are thousands of people embracing ketosis?

Tremendous fat loss while maintaining lean muscle-mass

Increase in mental clarity and focus

Increase in physical energy

Better quality of sleep

If this is what you are seeking, you may consider giving this lifestyle a try. Living in a constant state of ketosis not only provides life-changing health benefits but also helps you look and feel your absolute best.

My biggest concern when I first decided to embrace the ketogenic lifestyle was getting the proper nutrition for my body. I had seen so many body-builders who looked incredible but whose organs and joints were failing. Could I get what my body needed while consuming massive amounts of fat?

While going through any kind of weight-loss, it is very easy to overlook getting proper nutrition in the favor of quick results. While you can still lose weight and see physical gains by eating sub-par, nutrient-deficient, and even toxic food, this can be detrimental to your long term health- so… what’s really the point?

No matter how you choose to vary your diet while following a ketogenic protocol, there are three words that should be non-negotiable use when selecting your foods:

ORGANIC

PASTURE-RAISED

GRASSFED/FREE RANGE

It is important to say that the highest quality food is locally-grown/raised from organic farms or ranches where you can know how it is grown or harvested. The absolute best and most nutritious eggs are from pasture-raised chickens that are fed no grains or soy.

The highest quality beef comes from free-range cattle, that are fed no corn, soy, or genetically modified grains. Fruits and vegetables labeled “Organic” are telling you they have not been genetically modified or treated with harmful pesticides. If you can’t raise food yourself, using these three categories will help you select the best and most nutrient-dense food you can get from your local store.

1. Fat/Oils

AVOCADOS – Very high in good fat, low carbs. Contains double the amount of potassium of found in a banana. Also great source for Vitamin’s C, K, E, A, B5, and Magnesium.

OLIVE OIL

MCT OIL – Derived from coconut oil, this extract contains all the Medium Chain Triglycerides which is the best source of energy and fuel on the ketogenic diet. Excellent for bulletproof coffee/tea, or as a salad dressing base.

BACON (ORGANIC/UNCURED/NO NITRATES/NO ADDED SUGAR) – Bacon is a wonderful source of fat in the morning. Make sure to get uncured without nitrates and check to make sure there is no added sugar.

BEEF (AS FAT AS POSSIBLE) – Eat Grassfed beef only with as much fat as you can get. Just remember, the fatter the better.

3. SALT

This is one of the most important supplements while you’re eating a ketogenic diet. If you’re feeling a lethargic or have a lack of energy, the most common cause is a lack of sodium. Do NOT use common refined table salt. It has been stripped of all mineral content and shouldn’t be used for your sodium intake.

Take 1-2 tsp of Himalayan Pink Salt or Sea salt EVERY DAY.

4. GREENS

Most nutritionist agree that you should be having 7-10 cups of greens per day. This helps you with your daily intake of minerals, particularly potassium which is necessary to flush fat out of your liver. To help you with a visual, 7-10 cups is about the size of a large container of organic salad mix from your health food store. I recommend eating 1 of these per day in salads or smoothies. Try to consume as much kale as possible in these salad mixes.

5. FERMENTED FOODS

Fermented foods are extremely important on a low-carb diet to support your gut flora which aids in maximum digestion. They also help maintain the proper PH in your stomach which helps you absorb all your nutrients. Take 1 tbs of Apple Cider Vinegar everyday as well as liberal amounts of sauerkraut and pickles:

6. CONDIMENTS & SNACKS

MAYONAISE – This is my favorite go-to brand for mayonaise. Even though it has some sugar overall, it is loaded with fat and has zero grams of sugar per serving. The best thing about it is it contains no soy and is organic. Highly recommend for salad dressing.

Chia Seeds. Mix with almond milk and cinnamon. Chill for a great pudding.

Pumpkin Seeds. Excellent snack!

Sunflower Seeds. The saltier the better

Pecans

Almonds

Macadamia Nuts. Best fat to carb ratio of all nuts

Walnuts

Sunbutter. This brand became our family favorite. There is just something really great about sunflower seed butter. The fat to carb percentage on this product are really good.

Almond Butter. While this brand is not organic, we like it because of no added sugar.
It’s a great one to try. The fat to carb percentage on this product are really good also.

7. SUPPLEMENTATION

No matter how healthy you eat, there is no way to get your daily nutrient requirements from food obtained at a supermarket. In most leafy green vegetables, up to 80% of their metabolic enzymes are lost within 10 minutes of being picked. Unless you have an amazing garden you will not obtain all the important phyto-nutrients your body requires. Proper vitamin and mineral supplementation is vital to functioning at your highest level.

Life Long Vitality Pack (whole food based supplements) – The Life Long Vitality pack is unmatched by any product on the market for providing all your daily vitamin, mineral, and fatty-acid requirements in their whole-food form without any harmful additives. This pack is a must for all people, not just those on the ketogenic diet. These gave me the energy I never knew I didn’t have. Check them out!

ESSENTIAL OILS – We live in a world heavily dominated by plastics, chemicals, and pollution, and our bodies are affected at a cellular level by our environment no matter our diet. Repairing our cells and ridding our bodies of harmful toxins is where essential oils thrive. When you are going through massive fat-loss, your body is dumping these stored-toxins into your bloodstream. Essential oils are critical in binding to and flushing them out of our body. Click HERE to learn more about why essential oils are so effective in helping you not only lose weight but keep the doctor away.

Magnesium. Another mineral that is vital to your energy and sleep.

I hope this list of foods will be beneficial to you on your ketogenic quest. If you want to learn how to use the foods in conjunction with a lifestyle-change click HERE to join Chad’s inner circle and learn how to do a full ketogenic-shift. You will get unrestricted access to Chad’s video library of a full weight-loss program, how to build and maintain ketogenic habits, awesome low-carb recipes, heavy fat-burning exercises, and understanding how hormones affect weight-loss.